Snooker Seeks Tokyo Olympics Spot

(ATR) Snooker is not on a shortlist to join the 2020 Olympics, despite comments from the president of the international federation for the sport.

The president of the International Billiards and Snooker Federation, Captain P. V. K. Mohan, told the Press Trust of India on March 7 that "snooker and two other sports have been short-listed" to be included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

However, Around the Ringsis told the Tokyo 2020 additional event program panel is still reviewing sports to potentially include in the Games.

"The IOC executive Board has yet to approve a set of criteria for the addition of an extra event to the program of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games," Tristan Lavier, press spokesman for Tokyo 2020, tells ATR.. "This should be done at its next meeting in June."

"So, until the selection process and criteria are finalized, we will keep working closely with the IOC and all the international federations which are intending to bid to be included in the 2020 Games program."

Tokyo 2020 established the additional event program panel earlier this year to help determine events to add to the program under the flexibility afforded by Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms. Sports hoping to join the Olympic program are required to pitch their event to the panel.

Besides snooker, sports such as squash, baseball, and wakeboarding have indicated an interest in joining the program for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

A final decision on the sports program for Tokyo 2020 will be made by the IOC in 2016.

Written by Andrew Murrell.

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